Efforts to strengthen waste management and recycling in Cox’s Bazar received a boost with the handover of waste management equipment to the Cox’s Bazar Sadar Municipality on Monday.
The equipment was handed over during a visit by Max Tuñón, Country Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Bangladesh, to activities under the Leaving No One Behind: Improving Skills and Economic Opportunities for Women and Youth in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh (ISEC) project. The visit included two waste aggregation points in Cox’s Bazar town, followed by a program at the municipality hosted by Cordaid.
Shamim Al Imran, Deputy Director (Deputy Secretary), Local Government, Cox's Bazar, and Administrator of Cox's Bazar Municipality; Muhammad Imran, Interim Country Director, Bangladesh Country Office, Cordaid; and Ruchika Bahl, Head of Project Office, ILO Cox's Bazar, attended the event.
Waste aggregators and collectors from Teknaf, Ramu, Cox's Bazar Sadar and Ukhiya also took part.
The waste management intervention is being implemented by Cordaid Bangladesh with technical support from the ILO-ISEC project and funded by Global Affairs Canada until December 2026.
The initiative works with 360 waste-sector actors across Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Ramu, Ukhiya and Teknaf, as well as Rohingya refugee camps 9, 10, 13 and 15, to promote a commercially viable, inclusive and environmentally sustainable plastic recycling economy in the district.
The delegation visited aggregation shops in Pahartali and Alir Jahal, where they observed collection, sorting and baling operations and spoke with waste aggregators about working conditions, occupational safety and challenges facing the sector.
At Cox's Bazar Municipality, the project team presented progress achieved to date. A total of 60 aggregation micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) have completed enterprise diagnostics and business coaching, while 300 waste collectors have received ILO-certified occupational safety and health training, 27% of whom are women.
The project has also facilitated engagement between waste-sector enterprises and financial institutions to improve access to finance.
The event concluded with the formal handover of waste management equipment by the ILO Country Director to Cox’s Bazar Municipality.
The support package included 6 waste collection tricycle vans, 20 GPS trackers for waste-carrying vehicles, 20 waste collection trolleys, 130 waste segregation bins, and personal protective equipment, including gumboots, raincoats, safety helmets and other safety items.
A symbolic key was presented to the municipality by the ILO Country Director to mark the handover.
Shamim Al Imran, Deputy Director (Deputy Secretary), Local Government, Cox's Bazar, and Administrator of Cox’s Bazar Municipality, who attended as Chief Guest, said: "Waste management is one of the most challenging tasks for Cox's Bazar Municipality. Every day we manage approximately 200 tons of waste, and 15-20 tons of it is plastic, which is harmful for the environment and very difficult for us to handle.
"Around 100,000 tourists visit Cox's Bazar every week, and in peak season that number rises to 200,000-300,000. Managing the waste of such a population is a huge task, so we always welcome any support in this area.
"I sincerely thank Cordaid and ILO for collaborating with us, for creating learning opportunities and providing the tools we need, and I humbly request that they extend this support to a greater extent in the future."
Max Tuñón, Country Director, ILO Bangladesh, said: "Beyond decent work and environmental impact, there is a third dimension we should not overlook: the economic one. Tourism is vital to Cox's Bazar, and visitors will come in greater numbers when the environment is healthy. This economic benefit is a third pillar of the program, and it ties directly into sustainability."
Muhammad Imran, Interim Country Director, Bangladesh Country Office, Cordaid, said: "Waste management in Cox's Bazar is changing fast. Communal waste keeps growing, and e-waste is quickly becoming the next challenge.
"No single actor can solve this alone, and what the situation demands is impact, speed and scale. Through CIRCLE, we want to bring government, the private sector, academia, civil society and communities together so that waste is treated as a source of value and decent livelihoods, and the market can run on its own long after the project ends."
The equipment is expected to strengthen the municipality’s waste collection and segregation systems, improve operational efficiency and contribute to safer working conditions for waste workers across Cox’s Bazar.
